Space agencies have developed airborne launch assist space access (ALASA) systems for launching small satellites or other unmanned vehicles into low Earth orbit (LEO) using an expendable rocket dropped from a conventional aircraft. For example, a jet aircraft, such as an Air Force F-15, may act as a reusable “first stage” to carry a two-stage, liquid-fueled launch vehicle aloft to an altitude of 100,000 feet above sea level. The launch vehicle may include a payload mounted on a second stage which, in turn, is mounted on a first stage that is attached to the underbelly of the conventional jet aircraft. The launch vehicle may be separated from the jet aircraft and the first stage ignited. The launch vehicle then may follow a predetermined upward trajectory until the first stage flames out, which may be at approximately 200,000 feet, at which point the second stage may carry the payload, which may be an unmanned satellite, to a predetermined LEO.
Systems have been developed for monitoring the trajectory of such launch vehicles once they have been separated from the conventional jet aircraft that has carried them aloft. Such systems frequently employ ground stations that communicate with the launch vehicle by known telemetry systems. The ground stations require operation by human personnel to follow the trajectory of the vehicle, monitor the functioning of on-board guidance systems, and make a determination on whether the launch vehicle flight should be terminated based on telemetry received from the launch vehicle.
A goal of such ALASA LEO satellite launch systems is cost reduction. One means of minimizing launch costs of such systems is to eliminate the need for human operators. Such a system would minimize the costs of operation, and would provide flexibility in the selection of the launch area and deployment of the launch vehicle.